Institutional Bioethics Committee INER, 20 years
Sandoval-Gutiérrez, José Luis1
2023, Number 3
2023; 82 (3)
ABSTRACT
KEYWORDS
.After so many years studying ethics, I have come to the conclusion that it can be summed up in three virtues: courage to live, generosity to live together and prudence to survive.
Fernando Savater
On October 27, 2003, the Bioethics Committee of the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases1 was established with the participation of the following persons:
- • Dr. Fernando Cano Valle: Chief Executive Officer
- • Dr. José de Jesús Villalpando Casas: Director of Teaching
- • Dr. Fernando Rébora Togno: Chief of Oncologic Pneumology Service
- • Dr. Guillermo Carvajal: Deputy Director of Biomedical Research
- • Lic. Adriana Martuscelli: Deputy Director of Personnel Administration and Development
- • Dr. Ricardo Neri Vela: Head of the Legal Affairs Department
- • Dr. Alejandra Gamiño: Head of the Food Department
- • Lic. Rocío Buendía Valenzuela: Social Worker
- • Lic. Ana María Becerril: Deputy Head of Nursing Department
- • Pbro. Lic. Guillermo Gutiérrez Fernández: Bioethics Advisor of the Archbishopric of Mexico.
- • Mr. Carlos Vega Alexandre: Patient INER
- • Dr. José Antonio Moreno Sánchez: Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Dr. Fernando Rébora was appointed as Chairman of the Committee, who proposed conducting exit surveys of patients and their families at hospital discharge, in which the degree of satisfaction with the care received is preliminarily investigated. In addition, it was proposed to publicize the charter of patients' rights and it was decided to share bibliography related to bioethical issues.
Since that date, the committee has worked uninterruptedly, has been able to deal with two pandemics (influenza and COVID-19) and there has been a rotation of its members; on the other hand, the topics for reflection are increasingly complex, since they are so diverse that they go beyond the interhospital health problem, for example: migration, discrimination, vulnerable population, artificial intelligence, legislation, religion, patient-physician relationship.
It should be noted that the INER committee has a direct relationship with the National Bioethics Commission (whose head is Dr. Patricio Santillan Doherty) and has sought to offer recommendations to the needs of the problems that arise, always with due courtesy and fraternity among the various members of the committee.
For many years, Dr. Jaime Villalba Caloca headed the institutional bioethics committee, having a very fruitful activity during his term, in addition to the book of Bioethical Reflections at the end of his term (Figure 1A). The committee is a heterogeneous group, which is recommended and favors the broad vision of the different thoughts and knowledge necessary to approach the different cases.
Personalistic bioethics with its four pillars has been approached:
- 1. Autonomy
- 2. Fairness
- 3. Beneficence
- 4. Non-maleficence
One of the committee's activities is to disseminate knowledge of bioethics to undergraduate and graduate students. Likewise, recreational activities have been sought, such as the promotion of the so-called film-debate, which has been a great success in each of its exhibitions: a film showing a bioethical dilemma is shown and at the end a debate about it is stimulated.
These first two decades of which I have participated in 14 years, have been of great support for the Institute, resulting in a culture of Ethics and Bioethics in all the staff with a humanistic vision towards patient care (Figure 1B).
At present, under the leadership of Dr. Marcos Alejandro Jiménez Chobillon (Figure 1C), due to the successful appointment of our general director, Dr. Carmen Margarita Hernández Cárdenas -who was president-, the committee has a great future ahead of it.
In Medio, Virtus…
AFILIACIONES
1Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City, Mexico.
2023, Number 3
2023; 82 (3)
